


summer skin

by bunnyctzen



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Disney Theme Parks, Fluff and Angst, Language Barrier, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Strangers to Lovers, a far more intimate knowledge of floridian infrastructure than any foreigner (me) should have, kind of??, renjun and jaemin meet on vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:40:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24834754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnyctzen/pseuds/bunnyctzen
Summary: renjun and jaemin fall in love for a night.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin
Comments: 21
Kudos: 119
Collections: The 97z Steam Cloud Collection





	summer skin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [angstonly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstonly/gifts).



> for jac ♡
> 
> i'm not gonna act anonymous bc literally everyone and their dog knows who would write u a renmin fic to this dramatic caliber BUT i really hope u enjoy it!!!! everyone saw me struggling w this fic for like, so long rip but it was only because i worked really hard to make sure it was perfect!!!!! you're so incredibly important to me, and you only deserve the absolute best in the entire world. i tried really hard to write this with u and ur preferences in mind!!!! it's something that was really new to me bc we both know that this is super different from my regular style but no price is too great if it makes jac happy. i love u SO much and i hope you know you deserve the world!!!!
> 
> xoxo, maknae puff.
> 
> *** by nature, this fic switches languages a lot. like, even mid-conversation. applies for everything including texting.  
> english = italics  
> korean = no italics !!

the i-4 freeway is a fucking hellscape.

to be honest, the same can be said about almost everything jaemin has encountered since he landed in florida.

he was expecting disney and universal and like, shamu or whatever—instead, he’s been surrounded by the ever-present smell of mildew, questionable marshes that may contain gators, and one too many rednecks.

it’s a two-week excursion for jaemin. a vacation of sorts.

his roommate, jeno, came all the way from lazy beach town usa to study in korea on an exchange program a couple years back. his _best friend_ jeno, who at the time could barely keep up a conversation in korean, is now at the point of closeness where he’s offering jaemin a place to stay in his mom’s house for the time being.

right at the beginning of summer, of course, when the normally sweltering heat jaemin is used to dealing with back home is only amplified tenfold in the sunshine state.

the thing is, he’d normally be back at his own parents’ house in seoul while student housing kicks them both out for the summer, but he and jeno came up with an entire vacation itinerary while they were drunk off their asses just before exams, and they’re sticking with it.

for the past three days, all jaemin has seen is old people and red hats. waffle houses. walmart superstores.

today, though, is when the fun part is supposed to start.

well, that was the initial idea, anyway.

it’s a few hours’ drive from englewood to orlando, and jeno’s genius idea was to drive on the highway with the top off of his mom’s jeep in the scorching sun. the sunscreen jaemin picked up kind of smells like coconut, and it’s got some kind of glitter in it— _god_ does he wish he brushed up on his english before this trip—and he’s been slathering it all over himself every half hour to counter the growing pink tinge to his skin.

needless to say, it’s been an experience.

they play a floridian highway themed version of bingo to pass the time; a melted tire here, roadkill there. unidentified car parts, people cutting through medians to get to exits.

he asks jeno about the disney parks. in fact, the closer they get, the parks become all jaemin can think about—he might be kind of vibrating where he sits, and not just because of the jeep’s lack of shocks or his discovery of starbucks’ trenta size. 

_trenta_. 

perhaps america isn’t as shiny and exciting as jaemin expected it to be, but hell if he isn’t gonna make the most of delightful little discoveries like this.

he only gets a couple minutes on his phone at a time before it overheats, but he uses it to make a game plan for their all-park experience. to perfect his pronunciation of english character names, and ask jeno what the signs they pass say, and if he’s ever ridden space mountain. 

jeno tells him that halfway through the day, once their fast passes run out, the only thing jaemin will be interested in is water rides. that literally everything costs an arm and a leg and a kidney. 

jaemin’s phone flashes in warning again, so he starts searching for license plates from different states. 

they’ve got some semi-decent airbnb they’re gonna stay in once they get to orlando, which is honestly awfully generous on jeno’s part. he’s enduring an entire week of theme parks for jaemin, and being a faithful translator slash pillar-to-cling-to-in-a-foreign-country so jaemin doesn’t have to try to find his way around alone.

jeno’s korean is near fluent now, but jaemin certainly can’t say the same about his own english.

he’s got like, broken sentences figured out at the very least. he knows how to ask for directions to the closest bathroom, and say no pickles for his mcdonald’s order. everything else is pretty much a gamble from there on, though.

thus, jaemin endures the dumb jeep on the highway. he rubs sparkly coconut sunscreen into the back of jeno’s neck to spare him having to take his hands off of the wheel in what nearly constitutes as a real-life round of rainbow road.

he doesn’t even complain about jeno’s annoying edm driving playlist—jaemin is still like, _so_ indebted to him for helping him get through any of this. for letting jaemin talk his ear off about all of the things he wants to see before he goes back to korea. every little thing he wants to try.

siri says they’ll be meeting mickey soon, and he saw a mouse ears shaped utility pole a few miles back. the magic starts to really sink in, seeing all of the highway signs for exits to attractions. gorgeous hotels. 

the real vacation starts now.

step one of the elaborate drunken itinerary is to check into their airbnb. step two is to find an ihop so jaemin can experience the phenomenon that is all day breakfast served in absolutely obscene qualities.

the syrup jar is sticky.

ordering pancakes is kind of unfair when jaemin barely grasps the english language, and he has to try to figure out how to say _tres leches_ to an impatient waitress.

the free coffee is an absolute delight, but the second jaemin takes a sip, he scrunches his nose.

“god, is this really the stuff people drink here?”

he pushes it to the side of their table, and gives jeno a look for laughing at him.

“that’s food chains for you. it’s mostly like, carbs and grease—the sodas are almost all ice, too. as a warning.”

“and people are just cool with that?”

“no one really asks questions. it’s the american spirit.”

the alarm on jeno’s phone is shrill.

at first jaemin is fully ready to kick his ass for letting it ring like, five times before he silences it, because it’s way too fucking early and light hasn’t even breached his eyelids yet, but then he remembers where he is.

the air conditioner is on full blast, and the pillow his face is buried in smells uncomfortably fresh.

mm, vacation.

magic kingdom day, to be exact.

this sole fact is enough to get jaemin’s ass out of bed and into the shower so they have enough time to stop for breakfast before the park opens.

covered head to toe in the smell of coconut and dressed for the day, jaemin heads back to their shared bedroom to gather the last few things he needs.

jeno is fast asleep again—jaemin, rather impressively, lands his wet towel right on jeno’s face when he throws it at him.

“can you at least _pretend_ to be excited?” 

“i literally grew up here. been to disney like, a thousand times.”

still, it’s enough to finally get jeno out of bed so he can participate in their vacation. in his defence, they’re up before the sun has even risen so they can get a decent spot in line before the park opens, but it’s all part of the plan they _both_ made.

jaemin gets to discover the magic that is a classic american-style breakfast (at denny’s, no less), and it gives jeno enough time to get a little cheerier before they properly start their day.

from then on, aside from the minor taste of hell that parking was, the morning sets off without a hitch.

the crowds aren’t any less wild than jaemin expected—really, he’s about an arm and a half’s reach from about like, ten kids at any given point of their morning. lines are painstakingly long, but it still doesn’t take away from the excitement factor.

even the bathrooms have disney-themed elevator music playing through them, much to jeno’s disappointment.

still, in the morning, the weather is bearable enough that jaemin can get some half-decent pictures of everything he encounters that he thinks is worth documenting.

waterways, flower beds, and fantastical sculptures. the castle. it’s all the more fascinating when jaemin remembers how they’ll light all of it up at night and start the fireworks.

that is, if he can find a way to convince jeno to stay at the park for that long.

overall, the two of them have a vibrant morning. indulging in themed sweets, exploring the sheer mass of the park, and taking in the sights. they get to do a fair number of things on their list before noon even draws near, which jaemin feels like is quite the achievement given how hard it is to cover, like, any sort of ground in the park quickly.

really, the only thing jeno draws the line on is rollercoasters.

for jaemin, an avid space mountain enthusiast (or an enthusiast for the prospect of it, anyway), this kind of poses a problem.

they haven’t been separated for literally any of this vacation thus far, and jaemin knows it’s a _little_ irrational to be worried about it, but jeno was insistent on tackling the line at the nearest restaurant instead of sucking it up and going on the ride.

this is how jaemin ends up alone in a space station themed waiting area, taking advantage of the free mouse-eared wifi.

at first, he’s behind a family of five, and two of their three kids are screaming.

he regrets leaving his airpods in the jeep.

really, there’s only so much twitter and instagram he can scroll through before his eyes start glossing over in wait.

they should’ve stopped into one of the like, five starbucks locations they passed by in the park at some point along their adventures, because the combination of the dark space and the generous amount of air conditioner finally have those lost extra hours of sleep catching up to jaemin.

he shuffles his feet forward every few minutes at most, but as a whole, he’s almost starting to regret his decision to go on the ride instead of breaking first for food.

in another few feet, one of the staff is asking him something he’s a little too sleepy to catch onto the first time.

ah. english.

on his own.

“ _sorry_?” he asks for clarification.

“ _i asked how many. just one_?”

a couple wheels squeak back to life back in jaemin’s brain, and then he’s finally nodding along in agreement.

“ _yes_. _one_.”

he’s ushered off to the left side of where the line splits in two—over here, contextually, he figures is where the single riders are stuck.

all he can hope is that the wait is a little shorter this way.

it doesn’t really feel that way, given the size of the queue before him and the fact that he still can’t even see where the actual ride itself is loading yet, but he practices patience.

in front of him, a teenage girl seems rather unimpressed with the whole situation; she angrily texts someone, and sighs dramatically.

a few more minutes pass.

she sighs twice more, apparently decides that she’s done enough waiting, and finally bails.

jaemin’s first reaction is to look at the person that was in front of her to share a ‘can you believe that just happened?’ moment, but his brain kind of turns off past the initial intent.

somehow he _completely_ missed the gorgeous boy standing in front of her, and now it’s biting him in the ass.

the stranger lets out an amused snort when their eyes meet, and jaemin is a deer in the headlights.

jaemin misses his chance to say something before the boy turns back and faces the front of the line.

damn.

at the very least, jaemin is no longer bored.

in fact, his mind is far too occupied trying to scramble up some kind of english phrase to start a conversation with, because hell if he’s gonna let himself strike out without giving it a good shot.

he texts jeno.

**—— to: acorn jelly**

**< — so like  
<— cute boy in line ahead of me  
<— and all i can remember how to say is  
<— “i’m fine thank you and you” (╥_╥)**

he tries to look literally anywhere _except_ at the aforementioned cute boy as he waits for a response. 

finally, his phone vibrates.

**—— from: acorn jelly**

**— > four days in florida and ur already ready to settle down with a white dude  
—> ur kind of inspirational**

**< — he’s not even white!!! (⁎˃ᆺ˂)  
<— listen are u gonna help me or not**

**— > ask him his name or something  
—> make the tourist thing work for u  
—> maybe he’ll think it’s cute**

apparently jaemin won’t have to make the first move—cute boy has turned back to face him, and seems interested enough to strike a conversation.

that, or he’s also bored out of his fucking mind, which jaemin can’t really blame him for.

“ _did you get ditched too? none of my friends wanted to come on this one with me_.”

see, it’s easy in _theory_ to flirt in a language one has only a basic grasp on.

no pickles. bathroom. left. thank you.

it takes jaemin half a second longer to process the words, but once he’s pretty sure he’s got a grasp of what he’s heard, he tries his best.

“ _my friend… went to get food. he doesn’t like rollercoasters_.”

“ _mm, he’s really missing out then. space mountain is my favourite_.”

the line moves a few steps forward.

“ _you’re not from here, are you_?”

jaemin shakes his head.

“ _visiting from korea_.”

cute boy’s eyes light up.

“ _i grew up speaking a little korean! my accent is probably like, super chinese though. and i’ve lost a lot of it_.”

this definitely isn’t the direction jaemin thought their conversation would be going in, but he gains a little more confidence now that he has an advantage.

“i’m renjun—it’s nice to meet you… _boy in line with the blue hair_.”

“jaemin. the pleasure’s all mine.” 

he flashes his best prize-winning smile. renjun raises an eyebrow.

“ _fairly bold move to flirt with someone you might be stuck in line with for another half hour_.”

“is it working?”

renjun’s soft laughter, like everything else about him, is nothing short of addictive.

“ _you’ve got another twenty-nine minutes to find out_.”

for the first time since he got here, jaemin is actually grateful that the line moves at snail pace. in fact, he’d be more than happy to stand here all day in renjun’s company—the more he learns, the further he sinks.

renjun, endearingly, only really remembers how to speak korean informally. he forgets words and certain phrases, and replaces them with their english counterparts along the way.

it’s certainly not perfect, but renjun fares far better in his three languages than jaemin does in his… one and a quarter. they make do.

jaemin learns that renjun is from china, but his family moved to arizona when he was in middle school. that he’s on his own summer vacation with his friends chenle and dejun, and they’re only here for another week. he’s an astronomy major, and he paints for fun.

they both understand a little more of each other’s language than they can speak, so the back and forth of their conversation sounds strange enough that the people in line around them turn their heads in confusion and varying degrees of offence.

the two of them are fairly uncaring.

in fact, little matters to jaemin when he can watch renjun’s eyes sparkle in the multicoloured lights, and make him smile.

there’s a lot to be said in a conversation without words—even when jaemin doesn’t understand what renjun is saying (which has happened at least a handful of times by now), he finds a way to convey it through other means. body language and expressions, and the odd pause to type something into google translate that he just can’t get across.

the end of the line comes far sooner than jaemin wants it to.

renjun is in the middle of animatedly explaining how one of his friends almost passed out the last time they tried to take him on a rollercoaster, and suddenly they’re the next two people at the gate.

realistically jaemin _knows_ he shouldn’t be feeling so bummed out over having to carry on with the rest of his day when he’s literally at disney world, but god has it been a while since he’s genuinely enjoyed the company of a cute stranger.

alas, as fate would have it, there’s only one spot on the next ride, and it’s finally renjun’s turn.

a proper goodbye seems a little dramatic considering they were complete strangers at the top of the hour, so jaemin is grateful renjun spares the two of them from an awkward end.

he’s halfway out the gate when he turns back around to offer a small wave and a smile.

“ _see you around, jaemin_.”

jeno isn’t particularly hard to find once jaemin finally clears the gift shop and steps back into the light of day—jaemin finds him over by a bridge, tearing off little pieces of bread from his lunch for the ducks to feast on.

“you know you’re not supposed to feed the wildlife, right?”

jeno frowns.

“i’m not?”

“you’re probably, like, the fifteenth person today to throw them food—any more, and they’ll probably explode or something.”

this seems to horrify jeno enough to stop and go back to eating the rest of his lunch on his own.

he pushes jaemin’s toward him.

“did you get his number?”

ah, shit.

jaemin knew he was forgetting something.

he sighs.

“i mean, it’s not like i’m ever gonna see him again. a number is kind of useless.”

“but you _could_ see him again. now we’ll never know how jaemin and line boy’s story ends.”

“renjun,” jaemin corrects.

“ _renjun_. star-crossed lovers… their tale is so tragic.”

jaemin throws one of his fries at jeno (who sputters in grave offence), and rolls his eyes.

“bold of you to assume we’ll have enough spare time this week to squeeze romance in. we’ve still got four more parks left.”

“most people book vacations so they can relax, you know.”

“that sounds like a _you_ problem, lee jeno. i’m not most people.”

two days pass in a blur. 

they take a break from disney to spend a day around universal studios, and spend far more on dumb gift shop shit than they should.

jeno is _very_ invested in the harry potter world portion of the park, so it’s jaemin’s time to indulge him.

apparently the park put in a whole new section jeno hadn’t been to since he started studying abroad, so he has a field day, and jaemin gives him shit a couple of times for his lack of enthusiasm in days prior.

the butterbeer is delicious, and in spite of the lines they have to wait in (which are far more bearable when jaemin’s not alone), the rides really make the experience.

it’s a hot enough day that by the time they reach mid-afternoon, their brains feel like they’re being cooked under the sun.

the water rides are plenty—jaemin nearly forgets to stick his phone in the waterproof bags before the first drop on the jurassic park river ride, and the two of them end up leaving it soaked head to toe.

things are calmer the next day for their trip to hollywood studios. they only really spend enough time there to fill the first half of their day, and they explore orlando for the rest of it.

well, they drive around, at least. _explore_ is a bit generous given the amount of traffic they sit in to find hardly anything of interest, and eventually they tire out and settle in for dinner at olive garden.

for as extreme as the culture shock was for jaemin when he first arrived, honestly, it’s something he’s come to grow a little used to now. he’s encountered his fair share of karens and other ignorant assholes, and gorged himself with enough american food that he thinks he’ll be working the weight off for a month once he gets back home.

it may not be the land of constant excitement like he expected it to be, but jaemin sees a little bit of charm and character everywhere he goes.

in fact, he starts to see a bit of jeno in the culture—in the way he speaks and carries himself, and his mannerisms.

it’s kind of endearing to see him fall into old habits while he’s on home soil, like smiling at strangers, and eating his morning eggs with a more than generous amount of ketchup.

even if this ends up being the only time jaemin ever comes to america, he thinks he’ll remember it fondly.

of course, there’s still plenty more on his list to tackle before his vacation is through.

whether jeno likes it or not, they’ve still got the better part of a week and two more disney parks to clear.

jaemin _certainly_ has not finished his adventure yet.

animal kingdom day starts a little differently.

they still wake up at ass o’clock in the morning to get to the gates for opening, but today they aren’t alone.

jeno has invited his friend mark up from lakeland to join them for the day, and jaemin is delighted that they all get along so well.

mark speaks enough korean at home with his family that jaemin has a comforting fall-back when his english fails him, though as the days progress, he grows more and more determined to get a firmer grasp on the language.

generally, things seem a little calmer in this park. more animals, fewer rides. plenty of atmosphere. they run into far fewer children, have enough space to walk around comfortably, and even get pretty decent seats on the safari tour bus.

since the day is a little more relaxed than ones prior, they really take their time as they make their way around the park. they fill their phones with pictures of nearly every animal on planet earth, eat surprisingly fantastic food, and jaemin is pretty sure he finally starts to burn off all of the sugar he’s consumed over the past week.

thus, once the early afternoon hits, an idea is struck.

the thing is, jaemin isn’t really a huge drinker. he’ll have a few on special occasions, but he isn’t a party frequenter by any means.

that being said, a vacation to the literal other side of the globe is enough to warrant a couple drinks in the shade on a hot summer day.

jaemin opts for a margarita on the rocks, and enjoys it out on the patio where they watch peacocks run wild through their habitat.

he’s _fairly_ sure mark is complaining about his movie theatre job, and how disrespectful and careless people are, but jaemin’s thoughts drift as he looks around the park.

this very well could be the first time he’s _really_ relaxed since the two of them got here. slouched back in his chair, sipping his cocktail. phone forgotten in his pocket, and a nice breeze through his hair.

one drink is hardly enough to get him tipsy, but it puts him in a pleasant mood, and gets him craving another.

jeno and mark are in the middle of a lively debate with still-full drinks, so jaemin takes it upon himself to head back inside and order himself another.

the crowd around the bar has doubled since the last time he was here, so jaemin pulls out his phone to scroll through sns as he waits for it to disperse a little.

it’s maybe a span of five minutes, ten, once he finally reaches the front of the bar. jaemin reaches for his wallet and grabs a few bills in preparation.

“can i buy you a drink?”

jaemin freezes.

familiar voice. korean.

shining eyes and full, pretty lips.

 _renjun_.

“only if i can buy yours.”

“ _that’s not how this works, and you know it_.”

well, shit.

he’s even more gorgeous up close, and jaemin is nothing if not a gentleman. he’ll let him have his one.

“ _i’ll… buy your next one_?” jaemin offers.

he gets another taste of addictive laughter.

“ _deal_.”

renjun is a wonder.

he’s got a personality that draws everyone he meets to him—they end up pulling a few more chairs around the table to accommodate renjun and his two friends (dejun who is old enough to drink, and chenle who most certainly is not), and he merges in seamlessly.

“ _this is renjun. the guy i met in line a couple days ago_.”

“the cute one?”

 _god_ , jeno is gonna get the shit kicked out of him later.

“oh, is that so?”

renjun is unfairly smug, and jaemin can’t even be mad at him for it. all he can do is stand his ground, and pretend he isn’t a little flustered from being exposed so blatantly.

if jaemin didn’t chase him away the first time, realistically, he has no reason to worry. two can play in a game of push and pull.

“it’s rude to tell lies.”

one drink turns into two, then four.

the sun gives way to dancing colour.

it’s hard to remember who came up with the idea for the six of them to head out for more drinks come nightfall, but they all follow.

ample laughter, and new friendships that transcend language.

finger foods at some roadhouse that serves margaritas by the pitcher, and shitty country music to accompany it.

renjun’s thigh pressed up against jaemin’s own, squeezed tightly into the small booth. the smell of jasmine.

an empty pitcher.

jaemin escapes the booth to head to the bathroom and splash some cool water in his face to sober himself up a little. gather his bearings and get a bit more solid of a grip on his surroundings.

when he checks his phone, numbers on his screen tell him they’re well into the night.

he takes a leak and washes his hands. grabs some paper towel from the dispenser.

the door creaks, and then suddenly he’s not alone.

“ _they’re closing up soon. last call_.”

a voice as warm as honey that tastes just as sweet.

jasmine.

jaemin leans back against the counter of the shitty bathroom sink, and takes renjun in all of his glory.

gold flecks in brown eyes.

“wish the night didn’t have to end.”

“who says it does?”

renjun’s words draw closer. softer.

collarbones that shimmer under fluorescent lights, and a slight aroma of lime zest.

a hand on jaemin’s shoulder.

“ _is that something you want_?”

breath across skin.

“ _you are_.”

“ _i am_?”

“ _something i want_.”

a little salt, a little lime.

soft lips, soft tongue.

the counter top digs into the back of jaemin’s hips, but he grows far more concerned with bringing renjun closer.

with tasting his smile.

breaths grow a little heavier, and touch follows.

“ _don’t make me spend the night alone, jaemin_.”

one look is enough to sell jeno on letting jaemin make his own accommodations for the night.

he’s got mark to take back to their hotel room anyway, so he’s got somewhere to crash and sober up safely.

they lose track of chenle and dejun who have already turned in for the night. renjun drew the longest straw, so only he gets a hotel room all to himself out of the three.

it suits he and jaemin just fine.

renjun’s kiss-bitten lips shine like freshly picked cherries, and jaemin is addicted.

addicted to pressing him against the door of his hotel room, and indulging. to renjun’s fingers in his hair, and saccharine in his ear.

fresh dew on skin under the moonlight, and abandoned clothes.

when renjun tells jaemin to take him for all he’s worth, he’s hopeless to do anything but comply.

shimmering stardust. symphonies.

jaemin thinks renjun could sing, if he wanted. pay the bills with the sweet melodies that escape his lips when jaemin fucks him.

he whispers something to jaemin, and it falls on deaf ears.

again.

“jaemin.”

renjun is a magnet for attention, and jaemin is a moth drawn to his flame.

“ _what if we fell in love for a night_?”

jaemin thinks he could love renjun for several more.

for every night he lives to see.

“how could i say no to an offer like that?”

jaemin likes to think he’s fairly immune to hangovers.

it may be the amount of caffeine he consumes on a daily basis, or have something to do with how well he takes care of his body, but he really only wakes up slightly more groggy than any other day once the sun rises.

jasmine. dried sweat.

renjun’s arms may be thin, but they hold jaemin firmly in place where he lies, even in slumber.

his memory doesn’t fail him, and when jaemin closes his eyes, he replays it fondly.

what if they _could_ fall in love for a night? for more?

even now that the alcohol has drained from his bloodstream, jaemin entertains the thought.

he could have someone like renjun forever, if he wanted to.

if the place and timing were right.

the renjun that lightly drools onto the skin of his chest could be his for as long as he’d have him, if jaemin were allowed.

he could get to know him better. they’d learn to communicate. grow to support and trust each other.

jaemin can’t have any of these things.

he can’t have renjun once he wakes up, rosy cheeked and breathtaking.

he can’t have the renjun who captures his lips again, and gets him to sink into him once more.

the renjun who takes his time with jaemin in the morning light, and tries his own hand at taking jaemin apart.

leaving false promises on jaemin’s collarbones, and fucking fairytale daydreams into him.

even connected, on a pristine hotel mattress and in the liminal space of dawn breaking, they’re worlds apart.

jaemin promised jeno breakfast.

he takes a shower alone, and doesn’t offer renjun a parting kiss.

waffle house feels fairly lackluster compared to ihop.

jaemin can’t really say grits sound appealing, no matter what they are (which he still has only a loose grasp on at best).

it’s hard to avoid questions about his night and the events that led up to it, but he tries to look at the whole thing objectively.

there’s no sense being dramatic over something so silly—he’s had his fair share of renjun, and evidence on his skin to prove it. beggars are foolish to be choosers when it’s nothing short of a miracle they even ran into each other again.

he and jeno decide to have a beach day.

orlando is annoyingly far from water, even for practically being on the centre of an island, so it takes a little research to figure out where to settle for the rest of the day.

cocoa beach seems like the easiest choice, since jaemin still feels like he’s already experienced enough road trips on this vacation to last a lifetime.

jaemin thinks he’ll kind of miss the feeling of saltwater on his skin when he leaves to head back home.

the never-relenting sun, and sand that finds its way into everything he owns.

they get their fill of the ocean before they hit up some of the restaurants in town, and explore the little shops.

jaemin is fairly shocked to learn that jeno can surf—he supposes it makes sense, given that jeno grew up fifteen minutes from a waterfront, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

he complains to jaemin that it’s been far too long since he’s tried to pick it up again and he’s not eager to make a fool of himself with so many onlookers.

he’s quick to joke that jeno doesn’t need any extra assistance to look like a fool, and it earns a punch in the arm.

the lazy pace of their day and a piña colada or two out on a patio with a view of the ocean heal his soul in a way jaemin never knew he needed—before this vacation he’d been working his ass off, and stretching himself far thinner than he should’ve.

he’s still got a job to head back home to in a little under a week’s time, so he tries to let the tension leave his body as best as he can. to, in jeno’s words, _finally_ fucking relax.

jaemin gets a far better sleep to prepare himself for the last park on their list. unfortunately, he still wakes up feeling a little groggy on account of the rain that’s settled in over the city.

he moves to unlock his phone, but he’s stopped by the notification that greets him.

_instagram: new message from hr.23j (9h ago)_

ah.

his brain only decides to fill him in _now_ on the fact that they exchanged accounts somewhere between the park and the restaurant they ended up at, instead of at a more convenient time that could’ve prevented a fair amount of moping.

**—— from: hr.23j**

**— > _are u still going to epcot tomorrow?_**

jaemin has fairly loose lips when he drinks, and he’s far worse around beautiful boys.

still, he thinks he’d be kind of a fool to pass up another opportunity to see renjun when half of the park they were planning to hit up for the day will be down on account of the inclement weather.

**—— to: hr.23j**

**< — _we’ll be there for opening!!!_  
<— _wish the weather was better_ (´Д｀。)**

he’s about to close out of the app, but he stops when he sees renjun come online.

three dots pop up, then they disappear.

this happens two more times before jaemin finally has a new message. 

**—— from: hr.23j**

**— > _meet u there?_  
** —> _**it’ll take us at least another hour to wake lele up**_  
—> _**but we’ve really only got a couple days left so he’d better get his ass in gear**_

“god, how are you laughing so early in the morning?” jeno groans from across the room.

“shouldn’t you be cherishing your time with me before i have to head back home?”

“i literally live with you. i think i’ll cope just fine.”

jaemin can’t help but feel a little sunny at the prospect of seeing renjun again. it’s enough to carry him through his misty morning and accidentally sticking his foot in a puddle—in fact, he feels a little bulletproof.

the giant ball is kind of hard to miss, so it makes for an easy meet-up spot for the five of them.

it only feels a _tiny_ bit like a cliche rom-com when jaemin finally sees renjun again.

the rain has drawn the heat away, so he’s dressed himself in an oversized hoodie to accommodate the weather—jaemin’s heart aches for how cute it makes him look.

he supposes he kind of has tunnel vision, since he can’t really recall much of what went on between the others on the way to the closest attraction.

only renjun’s pretty lips, and shining eyes.

the time their knuckles brushed together as they walked side by side.

renjun has an incredible knowledge of the plants that grow in the greenhouses they take a boat tour through. about hydroponics (jaemin _absolutely_ had to translate the word), and strangely-shaped experimental fruits, and how they grow a large portion of food for the rest of the parks right here in epcot.

it’s half the language barrier and half how the world turns a little rosier in renjun’s presence that have jaemin only partially aware of everything he excitedly rambles about.

oh, the world is so _beautifully_ rosy.

when the rain lets up and the sky is mostly overcast, they tour the mini countries of the world, and stop into their little shops.

sorbet in france, lunch in germany.

tequila shots in mexico.

jaemin is fairly impressed to learn that disney employs people from each actual country in their miniature forms.

in china, renjun orders them food in mandarin, and makes small talk with one of the waitstaff from the province he grew up in.

if they can be in love for a night, jaemin thinks they can be for one more day. their friends eventually get kind of tired of third-wheeling, so at a certain point in the late afternoon, they all decide to meet up in a couple hours for the fireworks.

jaemin knows he owes jeno a thousand and one favours for letting him have this—he’ll do both their laundry for a month once they’re back at the dorms.

still, it means the two get to relax a little.

that renjun gets to take jaemin’s hand, and lead him around the park for the rest of the night.

it’s not so difficult, pretending to be in love.

not when renjun looks at jaemin like he holds the world in his hands. jaemin could easily be convinced that he does at this very moment.

jaemin’s been waiting all week to see the epcot fireworks—they’re grander than the show any other park puts on, and they can be seen for miles.

up close, it’s nothing short of magical.

they paint renjun’s face in fantastical blues and vibrant reds as he stands leaned against jaemin’s shoulder and transfixed on the view.

it’s difficult for jaemin to mind that his attention has been captured by a boy that shines like the moon in a sky full of stars.

this time, they’re sober when they kiss. even though their minutes together tick away, it still feels like they have all the time in the world.

the planets stop spinning, and the world fades out around them.

he’ll be renjun’s for one more night.

if it’s all the universe will give them, jaemin won’t waste it.

jaemin grows addicted to tempting fate.

he wakes up in renjun’s bed again—it’s too familiar this time. limbs tangled, hair tousled.

renjun leaves tomorrow morning.

 _no goodbyes_.

last night, renjun made jaemin promise it.

they don’t talk about leaving, or packing their things and going.

instead, they lie together in the morning light with words unspoken. they kiss, and shower together like they’re something more.

renjun takes them out for breakfast, and cutely scrunches his nose at jaemin’s black coffee.

the whole thing feels extremely masochistic—jaemin lets renjun tug his heart around the block. it’s a horribly silly game, but they’re both determined to play it until they’re forced to stop.

they take a walk around the nearest park on borrowed time, and pet strangers’ dogs.

renjun knows the name of every bird they see.

he tells jaemin that he thinks he’d like to visit seoul sometime. jaemin assures him he’d be honoured to show him around, and they share a smile. 

jaemin pretends not to notice the lack of shine in renjun’s eyes.

no goodbyes.

one last kiss, though.

straight from the movies. full of longing and emotion. yearning. fear. letting go.

something that tastes like love.

jaemin doesn’t want to talk about it.

they officially have no more business in orlando, so instead of staying an extra day to explore the city one more time, he tells jeno he’d rather go back to englewood.

the sun is just as hot on the i-4 as it was a week and some days ago. jeno’s console is covered in glitter, and the wind rushes through their hair.

instead of looking up at the sky above, jaemin closes his eyes.

jeno’s mom reminds jaemin of home.

she nags them for being too thin, and prepares them an absolute feast of a dinner. tells jaemin that he’s welcome to come back and stay with them any time, so long as he continues to keep jeno out of trouble.

it’s a strange thing to think about, coming back.

jaemin supposes he could.

his flight certainly wasn’t cheap, but it also wasn’t impossible to afford. jeno is still his absolute best friend, and he’d follow him anywhere.

he thinks he’d like to come back one day.

next time, he’ll be a little less reckless.

it’s nice to relax again, in the last days jaemin has left.

he and jeno game together, and they hit the beach up one last time.

in his time here, jaemin has almost filled an entire new memory card up with pictures of their adventures.

fireworks, scenery, animals.

new friends.

renjun.

he touches up a few of the absolute prettiest ones, and puts them up on his instagram feed.

the rest get tucked into a folder on his desktop that he’ll let himself open again once he’s finally ready.

bongshik hops up onto the desk in jeno’s room, and jaemin scratches behind her ears.

his phone buzzes to life.

the likes on his new posts make his heart sting.

jaemin’s flight back marks the first time he’s been alone in the couple weeks since he’s been gone.

in fact, it’s the first time in a while that he’s been _truly_ alone. usually he has jeno to come home to, but since he’ll be back in florida for the rest of the summer, it’ll be regretfully long before jaemin can see him again.

the overhead speaker calls for passengers to turn off their mobile devices.

only one notification remains.

**—— from: hr.23j (7m ago)**

**— > have a safe flight ♡**

**Author's Note:**

> ur tears,,, i collect them in a bucket and drink them. slurp slurp
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/xingowo) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/xingowo) ♡


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